Land use: arable land: 11% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 38% forests and woodland: 38% other: 12% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 17 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires

Environment-current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing

Environment-international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

@Guinea-Bissau:People

Population: 1,206,311 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 42% (male 256,315; female 255,208) 15-64 years: 55% (male 313,270; female 347,431) 65 years and over: 3% (male 15,986; female 18,101) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.32% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 38.67 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)